Gentle wake-up or rude awakening? A review of 5 children’s alarm clocks

Katja Fischer

5.10.2024

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

My daughter has trouble getting out of bed in the morning, making her very qualified to test children’s alarm clocks. I had her try out five models. We found a favourite – and one that really ticks us off.

The universe of alarm clocks is vast. Large or small, digital or analogue, battery-operated or mains-powered, shrill alarm or the soft break of dawn, snooze function, night light – it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the endless options. What’s more, children’s alarm clocks come in a variety of designs. From diggers to footballs to unicorns to Super Mario, Scooby Doo or My Little Pony, you’ll find every conceivable children’s theme in the form of an alarm clock.

To cover the whole variety, I ordered five completely different clocks. My eight-year-old daughter is the perfect victim to test them. She’s never even remotely been a morning person and could do with a good push to wake up.

The merciless one: Clocky, the fleeing alarm clock

Clocky knows no mercy. With zero qualms, he forces my daughter out of her bed. Not only is his alarm signal very loud, it also sounds like an incredibly annoying siren. But there’s more: if my daughter hits snooze, the alarm clock takes off, racing wildly around her room, leaving her no choice but to get out of bed and switch it off. Rubber rims on the wheels protect objects and walls from falling prey to Clocky. The alarm clock is powered by four AAA batteries.

Pros: Efficiency is Clocky’s middle name. At the set hour, he goes from zero to one hundred. Even sleepyheads are forced out of bed. Clocky is available in different colours.

Cons: Clocky gives you anything but a gentle start to your day. The user interface isn’t great either. There are only two buttons – one for the minutes and one for the hours. If you press the minutes button one time too many, you’ll have to tap it another 59 times to get to your desired number.

Conclusion: Clocky is funny. But he gets on our nerves from the very first morning. He wakes up not only my daughter, but the whole house. My daughter thinks he’s cool. I, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to bash the thing against the wall.

The cute one: children’s penguin alarm clock

Pros: This is a cute alarm clock for small children. It’s got just a few functions and is easy to operate. Thanks to its handy size, you can easily take it with you wherever you go. Then again, who needs an alarm clock on vacation?

Cons: Everything’s too small for adult hands. You can’t set the alarm time to the minute. And every time you want to set it, you have to remove the battery cover. It’s also annoying that the seconds tick by audibly.

Conclusion: The thing is too fiddly for me. And far too hectic: if you don’t turn off the alarm within a few seconds, it gets louder and shriller. I expect a little more patience early in the morning. My daughter doesn’t mind; she thinks the penguin is «sooo cute!»

The all-rounder: Kid'Sleep

Train noise, cuckoo or birdsong? The Kid'Sleep from Claessens Kids lets your child choose their wake-up sound. If they press the snooze button, the clock face lights up so they can see what time it is. There’s also a light-up picture that shows whether it’s bed or wake-up time – either the sun or the moon lights up. You can plug the alarm clock into the socket to save on batteries. For battery operation, two AA batteries are required.

Pros: The time is displayed in both analogue and digital form. Younger children who can’t yet read the time get extra help; a light-up picture shows them whether it’s time to go to sleep or get up.

Cons: The analogue and digital clocks aren’t linked, and the alarm is set via the less precise analogue clock. This makes it difficult to set the alarm to the minute. According to several customer comments, the alarm clock has a propensity to ring at different times even if you keep the settings the same. We haven’t had this experience, though.

My colleague Martin Jungfer has written a more detailed review of the Kid'Sleep:

The pretty one: Billy Clock

Pros: With the built-in night light, Billy becomes a decorative object on your kid’s bedside table. At 15 centimetres wide and 15 centimetres tall, it’s neither too big nor too small, and it’s available in seven stylish colours.

Cons: Setting the alarm is more difficult than I thought. Luckily, a short set of instructions is included. For reliable wake-ups, the battery must be recharged every three days. In fact, you’re better off keeping it plugged in. Unfortunately, the cable is a tad short. What’s more, the night light is unreliable. It stopped working for us after just a few minutes. The light seems to be broken. Similar problems have been reported in product reviews.

Conclusion: Looks aren’t everything. My daughter, who attaches great importance to the appearance of her alarm clock, agrees. Billy is too complicated to use, and the night light doesn’t work. This is a product I’d return.

The futuristic one: Creeper Icon

The Creeper Icon is currently sold out, but will be restocked next week.

Pros: A simple but good alarm clock with few buttons, intuitive operation and a practical night light. Certainly a highlight for Minecraft fans.

Cons: Not an option for non-Minecraft fans. The plastic alarm clock looks cheap and its pixel art is no feast for the eyes. And then there’s the annoying Minecraft wake-up sound. Away with it, I say!

Conclusion: Too ugly, too annoying. Even if the Creeper Icon does have its advantages and my younger daughter finds it cool, it doesn’t stay in her bedroom for long.

Katja Fischer

Senior Editor

Katja.Fischer@digitecgalaxus.ch

Mom of Anna and Elsa, aperitif expert, group fitness fanatic, aspiring dancer and gossip lover. Often a multitasker and a person who wants it all, sometimes a chocolate chef and queen of the couch.

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